


Of hibiscus and roses

by MadamRed, venom_for_free



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Chocolate, Denial, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, M/M, One Shot, Oral Sex, Relationship(s), Sad, Semi-Public Sex, Smut, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:01:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadamRed/pseuds/MadamRed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/venom_for_free/pseuds/venom_for_free
Summary: Langa wants to keep their relationship a secret while Reki wants to yell about it from the rooftops.Or, a Valentine’s Day gone wrong, then right, and then ...
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 63
Kudos: 177





	Of hibiscus and roses

**Author's Note:**

> So, Langa's smirk last episode broke us a little bit, and here's the result. This would technically take place some time after that.
> 
> This was also inspired by [an interview in which one of the creators](https://twitter.com/soukatsu_/status/1359253787223932930?s=19) said Langa was quite inconsiderate with his partners and Reki has never received any chocolate for Valentine's Day?! Our poor sunshine baby deserves all the chocolates in the world. Even if he has to make them himself! 😤

“Joe.” The man looked up with bleary eyes. It was the end of a long day, Reki knew that. But he’d been busy working for most of it, so he didn’t have an opportunity to come over earlier. Even if it meant stumbling into the restaurant a few minutes before it closed. Reki knew he would find help here, however egoistic that was. He had a plan. A dream, even. And he’d do what he had to to make it work. “Joe!”

The older man turned and tilted his head. He wasn’t looking down on Reki. Probably. Well, technically he was, but only because Reki was much shorter, and anyway, that wasn’t really the point. There was a little smile in the corner of his lips and that was what Reki counted on when Joe’s voice carried annoyance instead of happiness. “What is it this time?”

“I need to learn how to make chocolates.” Joe blinked and, for a second, Reki wondered why but then realized he should probably elaborate. “It’s almost Valentine’s. And … I want to make chocolates for Langa.” Were his cheeks hot? He was hot.

There was some sort of spark in Joe’s gaze for a fraction of a second, but … Reki couldn’t put a finger on it. He didn’t really want to, anyway. Instead, he stubbornly waited for an answer until Joe sighed. “Fine. I can teach you.”

Reki gave his brightest smile. With his arm still aching and not fully recovered, he was thankful for any kind of help. Besides, Joe knew how to cook sweet treats best.

“Teach him what?” Reki hadn’t noticed Cherry entering, but he wasn’t bothered by his presence. Not with the clear mission on his mind. 

“Our little troublemaker here wants to learn how to make chocolate. For Valentine’s, right?”

Reki nodded, causing Cherry to lean forward. “Valentine’s? How modern of you. Who’s the happy girl, then? Do we know her?”

“Not a girl.” Joe answered before he could, which was kind of weird, but those two were always strange, so he didn’t think too much about it. Joe looked over at Reki, who nodded. It’s not like he was keeping it a secret, even if there was no label attached to it yet. “Langa.”

“Ah,” was all Cherry said. Odd. The man usually had a comment, snarky or not, about everything. Reki shrugged and started taking off the upper part of his gakuran jacket. Joe grabbed a couple of clean pots and filled them with water before putting them on the stove to boil.

When Reki opened his mouth to ask, Joe interrupted him. “The chocolate I use needs to be melted the old-fashioned way. No microwave. We’ll have to wait for a bit.”

“Ah, no, that’s fine! I don’t mind!” Reki smiled, scratching the back of his head. “I was actually going to ask if we could make some filled chocolates? Langa likes overly sweet things.”

The spark returned to Joe’s eyes, and Reki turned back to the main dining area of the restaurant—he could swear Cherry sighed. Weird. But he wasn’t at the counter anymore. Cherry plugged his beloved Carla in one of the outlets near the front door.

By the time Reki’s gaze returned to Joe, the older man was crouching. Reki looked over his shoulder and woah, he didn’t know there was a fridge below the counter. It made sense, though. The kitchen space was limited. His mouth watered. There were trays upon trays of already finished treats and desserts, bowls of ingredients he didn’t know the names of, chocolate strawberries, flans—everything.

“Here,” Joe mumbled, bringing Reki out of his sugary dream land. He grabbed the bowl with fresh strawberries offered to him and hugged it to his chest. “You can leave that on the counter. I’m thinking dark chocolate and caramel filling, as well as white chocolate truffles filled with strawberry jam. Mmm, maybe some peanut butter ones to balance the sweetness? Do we even have time for that?”

The man was obviously talking to himself so Reki just grabbed whatever he was given and put it on the counter. Joe got up, still muttering under his breath, and walked back to the storage area to retrieve a few bags of chocolate. The little chips fell into a pristine bowl. “I’m gonna turn off the stove in a sec, and you’re going to be in charge of moving the chocolate around as it melts.”

“What about the fillings?”

Joe shook his head. “That would be too much for a beginner, but mostly I’m concerned about that hand.” He leveled Reki with a look.

Shrugging, Reki listened to Joe’s instructions while the other man moved around with practiced ease. He pulled a blender out of an upper cabinet and cut the strawberries, and the kitchen was soon filled with whirring of the appliance as it ground the sweet treats. He then used a filter mesh to separate the seeds from the pulp.

“Reki, remember that chocolate.” Joe’s commanding voice made Reki spring into action, and he started moving his spatulas again, switching between the white and black chocolate every few minutes. It was still chunky. “It should be ready in …” Joe stood next to him for a second to peek at the two pots. “Maybe three minutes.”

“But the filling isn’t done.” Reki frowned. He wasn’t an expert but weren’t they supposed to have all the ingredients ready at the same time?

Joe laughed. “We still need to prep the molds, pour the chocolate to create the base and walls, let’s say, of the truffles, and then leave them to rest in the fridge.”

Reki nodded. So there were quite a few more steps involved than he anticipated. He bit his lip. Maybe his mom would be willing to buy a bottle of wine as a thank you. Reki definitely owed Joe a lot.

Next to him, Joe worked in silence. He stood in front of another stove, the flame strong, as whatever ingredients he’d put there dissolved into bubbles. Sweet aromas filled the air around them, and Reki was tempted to follow his nose and steal bits and pieces left and right. But … no. This was for Langa.

The pulp, butter, and cream were added, and Joe kept stirring until the mix looked thick, like syrup. In between, the man also measured  _ more _ butter, cream, vanilla extract, salt, and … sugar? The grains were bigger, like small crystals instead of the usual ingredient Reki was used to seeing at home when his mom baked.

Reki eyed the strawberry jam, and his mouth started watering. But Joe spoke before Reki could think of dipping a finger in the filling. “This is done. We’re gonna let it sit until it cools to room temperature. Don’t you dare touch it with your dirty little fingers.” Reki nodded right away. He was caught red-handed. Red-eyed? Wait, no. That wasn’t how it worked.

Shaking his head, he checked the chocolate in front of him. “I think this is good now. It’s not lumpy anymore.”

Joe looked over and nodded. “Grab the molds you want from the back, there should be quite a few different shapes. I’ll clean them and help you with the first few steps.”

Well. How many molds could be there, anyway? Reki walked to the only door at the back and there were rows upon rows of bags and boxes and containers on large, metallic shelves that were much taller than him. The storage was small and tidy, though, and every compartment had labels. Moving around slowly, he found a shelf with a bunch of pans and, next to them, an open container filled with molds. “Found them!”

Reki brought the entire thing with him and started sorting through it. He settled for two different square ones, which was kind of boring, but none of the other shapes were … Langa-esque enough? He looked at the hearts again but … that would be too much.

“Okay, we’re gonna put just a little bit of chocolate in them. It needs to be thick enough to work as the base and ‘paint’ the sides of the squares.” Reki nodded, though he was a bit unsure about the non-precise measurements. Joe handed him a teaspoon. “I pour, you paint?”

Tongue sticking out, Reki got to work the second Joe finished his own task. Once the dark chocolate tray was done, they continued with the white one. It was tricky, the chocolate somehow … thicker? Now that it started cooling, the consistency was different. The tray looked like a hot mess, but every single square was filled, so Reki felt accomplished.

“Done!” He smiled brightly at the older man, who patted his back and took the mold away to put it in the fridge to cool. “Now what?”

“Now  _ I _ work on the caramel sauce.” Joe turned on the stove again, already putting the new ingredients in a large pan and whisking away. He nodded at Reki. “Just … this can burn really badly, so I need the space. Would you mind putting the container back?”

Of course he didn’t mind. Reki grabbed the ugly plastic thing and carried it back to the storage room to sort it into the space he took it from. But the second he left the room, Cherry’s voice filled the silence. “Are you sure helping him is a good idea?” 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Strange. Joe had become such a good friend. And he seemed to like both him and Cherry. So why was his voice tense? His answer a little … quipped? Reki frowned and stared at the shelves. Where exactly had he taken the container from … 

“You gotta know. Everyone knows.” 

Huh? Reki turned, but he was still in the back, so no one raised their eyes to meet his. Wait. Was he eavesdropping? But … Cherry obviously had something to say and had waited until Reki was out of the room, so it was probably private and—but it was also about him. About them, once Reki could convince Langa to make their love official. Soon. Langa just needed time and a little encouragement, and Reki gave him both, but now … now it was time for a little larger of a push, figuratively. 

After all, they had been a couple for almost a year now, always hiding away to kiss, touch, hold hands. But never around others. Never where anyone could see, and it was getting old. Reki was proud of them, and he wanted to present their love not only to their family but also to their friends.

“I don’t know anything.” Joe sounded really tense.

“Do you need a reminder? Of what we saw when—”

“We saw nothing. And I’m helping a friend with his Valentine’s.”

Cherry huffed out a laugh that was colder than usual. And Cherry was a cold-tempered person already. “He will never have a chance with him. You know that, I know that—”

_ Oh. _ So that was what this was all about. They thought Reki had no chance with Langa. Well, he was popular but not as much as Cherry or Joe themselves. Besides, Reki was already further than they thought.

“Well, actually—” He returned to the room, door to the storage closing behind him. “He already  _ is  _ my boyfriend. And yes, I know, big surprise. We don’t talk about it. We never do, I know that, but … Langa doesn’t want us to. Says it will only cause chaos and confusion. And I get it, you know? We are both young, promising athletes, and dating a rival is—” 

“You are dating him already?” Reki had no idea how to interpret the expression on Cherry’s face. So he nodded. After all, that was the truth, that was exactly what was going on. “Bastard.” Cherry’s hiss was so quiet, Reki might have imagined it. He should probably say something, ask, defend his boyfriend’s honor—anything really. But Joe gently touched his arm, refocusing his attention. And honestly? Reki didn’t really need to think about this further, either. He knew what he knew. Cherry was probably just jealous because Joe and him … well. No idea what was going on with Joe and him.

“The caramel sauce.” Joe pointed at the pan and handed Reki a whisk. “Take care of it for a moment, will you? I need to speak to Cherry for a second.” They headed for the door. “Oh, take it off the stove when it starts thickening!”

Reki nodded slowly, even if the door was already closing behind them. The blinds were down, so he couldn’t really see what was going on, nor hear their conversation.

True to his word, though, Joe walked back in a moment later and told Reki to turn the stove off after checking the consistency. Cherry, however, didn’t take his seat at the counter. Instead, he sat at one of the tables, his back to the kitchen. “Uh, Joe—”

“It’s fine. Let’s just … focus on this, okay?” Joe’s smile seemed forced. Huh. Had he ever seen that kind of expression on him? Reki swallowed and went to take the trays out of the fridge, while Joe reheated the water pots for the chocolate again.

They worked mostly in silence after that and finished filling and topping off the chocolates in no time. The tension was still palpable, though, so now Reki second-guessed his grand, romantic plan to woo Langa. He sighed as he helped Joe dry off the many bowls, pots, pans, and everything they used. God. It was a mess. How come Joe agreed to this?

“Hey, Reki. Do you need a box for the chocolates?” He closed his eyes. Fuck.  _ Fuck _ . In his haste to get to Joe’s place, it completely slipped his mind, but Joe only chuckled. “I Figured. I’ll grab the smallest one we usually use for desserts. Hold on.” He turned off the tap and went to open a cupboard. Cardboard boxes ready to be built filled it up. “Here. Just fold the sides. I’ll look for something to present the chocolates in.”

And off he went again. Reki owed him a box of chocolates as well, or whatever Joe liked. Maybe rather something from the shop. Yeah. Something from the shop. He rolled his shoulders and looked around. Was Cherry okay? Hopefully … but the man was so silent. More than usual.

“Here we go. I … let’s put them in. And a little bow on top. Do you need anything else?”

From the table came another huff. Huh. “Don’t waste any more resources on that boy.” Damn. Cherry still thought he had no chance with Langa? Was Reki such a bad catch? “He isn’t worth it.”

Huh. That was … a new angle. Why would Langa not be worth his attention?

“Cherry.” Joe, from behind him, lowered his voice enough to almost resemble a growl.

“Fine. I’m not saying anything.”

Reki took a deep breath. These men were basically children themselves with the way they behaved. “I wanted to take him on a picnic. But I prepared everything else at home.” That weird flash of … something flickered through Joe’s eyes again. Worry? Pain? Grief? Nothing that made sense. So Reki didn’t ask further questions. Instead, he bowed and smiled at his friend. “Thank you for your help. I owe you.”

But Joe just shook his head, handed him the last of the chocolate, and gently ushered Reki out of the restaurant.

* * *

Reki stared at his ceiling. Then at the closet, where he started counting the stickers for the third time in a row. It was a good activity to distract himself because there were a bunch of them, having accumulated enough over the years to make it a legitimately hard task. But after this third round of counting, he stood and paced the room once again. Urgh. He’d been doing that for the last hour, almost non-stop. But once he figured out Langa wouldn’t show up, at least not in any kind of timely manner, he gave up and returned to his bed. Just like right now.

He slumped down and took a deep breath.

Reki opened his messenger app once more and read over the texts he’d sent in the last two hours. Langa rarely responded immediately, but now he wasn’t texting back at all. And that … frustrated Reki. A lot.

Then, finally, almost two and a half hours too late and long past the sunset they wanted to watch together, Reki’s phone signals a new message.

**_On my way. I’ll be over soon. I’m sorry!_ **

He sighed and pressed the phone to his chest. Reki wanted to ask what happened, what kept Langa for so long, but … now that he would be back with his lover in a few more moments, he swallowed all the worries. They didn’t need that. Not today, not on Valentine’s day. Today was meant to be perfect, a surprise, a gift … their day. 

Soon enough, the horn from Langa’s bike had Reki rushing out and almost into his arms. Except, they weren’t extended. Right. Public. This was in public. So Reki offered a fist bump and Langa returned it with a small smile. 

“Hey.”

“Hi.”  _ I love you. I missed you. Where were you? Why are you late? Did you think of me? I thought of you. I try so hard. I want you so much. I need you. Please. _ “Chocolate?”

Langa nodded. “You … wanted to meet for chocolate?”

“I wanted to meet for dinner. But the rest of the food is cold. I prepared a picnic. Since, you know, it’s Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh. OH. Chocolate.” Langa’s eyes widened, and he leaned back a little. “But … aren’t the girls supposed to—”

“There is no girl. Just you and me. Right?”

Langa shook his head. “No girl. I promise. You and me.”

Reki nods. Cool. “Let’s go eat then! Maybe it’ll still be good, even cold? And the chocolate has to be cold, anyway! I made it just for you. Sure, Joe helped, but—”

“He did?”

“Yeah.”

Langa’s eyebrows pulled together. He made a small, acknowledging noise in the back of his throat, but … his eyes didn’t meet Reki’s anymore.

No girl. He promised. Reki didn’t dare ask further.

“My mom. She kept me longer, you know? Wanted my help with cleaning the house. Valentine’s is a strange time for her without a partner and …” He kept talking but Reki couldn’t focus anymore. Ah. Thank fuck. There was an explanation. He probably missed his dad. And his mom, though she wasn’t far. Did he also miss Canada? Maybe going skating was exactly what he needed right now.

He shared that thought, and Langa nodded. His smile was filled with gratefulness, so it was probably the right thing to do. Reki was a good boyfriend. He did his best and he prided himself on that.

Langa took him to the skate park near the beach and found a bench next to a half-pipe where they could be alone. They took turns since they only had Langa’s board, which he usually kept attached to the bike. It was okay, though. This way, Reki had time to appreciate  _ all _ of Langa in action. How his powerful legs gained momentum, how he folded his body to jump … so lean and athletic. Captivating. From the first moment Reki saw him flying to get to the finish line before Shadow … That was it, really. Hook, line, and sinker.

When the other boy skated back to grab some water, Reki couldn’t help himself. He stood up and mashed their mouths together in a heated kiss. No preamble. But Langa tensed in his arms. “We’re alone, don’t worry. Everyone is probably off at S, anyway.” Last week, Joe and Cherry mentioned some special edition challenges for couples or something like that. Langa had been adamant about not wanting to go. Reki didn’t want to admit how much that stung.

After a quick look around, Langa pushed Reki back until they reached the first few trees around the skate park, their bodies hidden from view. He pressed a kiss against Reki’s pliant lips. Once, twice. Reki’s eyes fell closed, immediately giving in. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

This wasn’t their first time making out near the park. They’d spent plenty of nights falling on the unforgiving concrete only to then retreat to the safety of the trees, the moon above as their only witness. Reki didn’t enjoy the idea of being caught, especially considering Langa’s reservations. And the mere thought of either of their families hearing them … Yeah, this was better.

They got lost in each other pretty quickly. Hands started roaming, insistent, tugging on clothes, hair, bringing him closer. Reki moaned. A soft bed against his back instead of bark would have been swell, but the hard body pressing against his was all he really needed.

With his eyes closed, he could almost imagine it was tender between them. He could almost picture this lasting. Oh god, he wanted this to last. But if the moment wasn’t happening the way he needed it to, well, Reki would give it a little push.

Usually, Langa was the one who gave directions. What he wanted, what he liked, what was okay that day, that time, that place. But just once, Reki wanted to be brave and to initiate more than just gentle, urgent lip locks. So he pressed a hand to his lover’s tummy, then over his chest, the same way Langa did when he was nervous or excited. And so far, Reki wasn’t pushed off, so … his hand lowered and dipped beneath the fabric, carefully raising the soft material to reveal the tiniest hint of white skin. Snow, that was what they called him, mostly because of his hair. He always thought about Langa. Always.

So much so, it took a second for his brain to register something was wrong. The snow was marred by dark slush—what even was that? But his lover pulled his shirt down immediately and winded out of their embrace.

“Langa.”

“Just … not there.” Maybe it was just a shadow. A fading bruise? Reki wasn’t sure if he actually saw anything, now that he thought about it a little more. He could ask why he wasn’t allowed to touch. But then what? What would Langa tell him? Would he say something? But it was his body. He was allowed to draw whatever line he wanted to. So Reki backed off and dropped his head instead. “Hey.” A long, slender hand reached for him, took his smaller, more tanned one. Raised it. Kissed it. Tugged. “Reki.” He raised his eyes, just a tiny bit. “Let me do something for you?”

Reki pouted, looking to the side. It was a bluff. He knew it. Langa knew it. Reki was weak against his touches, his kisses, his everything. A soft brush of lips against his cheek, a murmured promise in his ear, roaming, gentle hands underneath his clothes. He pressed his lips shut, trying not to make a sound. But it was pointless, really. The second that mouth started going up and down the column of his neck, only to bite his earlobe, he was gone.

“Langa …” His own broken voice surprised him.

“Let me take care of you.” Not a question like before. Reki nodded, drunk on the feeling of those lips against him. They had both explored, mapped every dip and rise in their bodies time and time again, it never got old. The same thrill rushed through Reki now, especially with Langa kneeling in front of him.

Langa’s hands made quick work of Reki’s belt and fly, the cool ocean breeze hitting his heated skin, giving him some relief. His lover wasted no time, pumping Reki until his dick stood proudly and started swirling that sinful tongue of his around the head. Langa knew what he was doing, and it surprised him time and time again. Reki brought a hand up to muffle himself, but soon Langa guided his wrist, burying Reki’s fingers in his own hair.

“I wanna hear you …” Shit. That was a first. They always tried to be so careful. No one could see them. No one should hear them. But now this? Oh, god. 

Reki whined, and under normal circumstances, he would have been embarrassed. But the way Langa’s face moved, how his eyebrows pulled together in delight and concentration … he moaned again. Nothing big, not even close to being loud enough to attract attention, but … he did his best to let Langa know what happened in his brain.

A whole lot of needy thoughts and prayers and absolutely nothing else. Reki’s fingers curled further into silky strands, and he couldn’t help thinking how good this felt. How right. How wonderful. Not just the secretive blowjob in a skate park, but …  _ them. _ The two of them with each other, naturally, without any sort of force. Just them.

Langa hummed and kissed him gently, then went further into his task to actually get Reki off. And oh, how was he so good at this? Heat pooled low in Reki’s belly, far quicker than it had any right to. But there it was, an independent life-force in the middle of his guts, rolling around in pleasure and need and  _ love. _

When the electric current traced every single part of his spine, running along his bruised back and setting Reki ablaze from the inside, he pulled Langa’s hair. Not intentionally. But his lover winced and—

Reki came with a startled, surprised moan. Fuck.  _ Oh. _ And Langa just swallowed it as if it meant nothing. He simply moved the cum on his tongue around to gather it, then swallowed. Just like that.

He was ethereal the way he sat there, looked up, picture perfect. Reki fell to his knees and pulled Langa into a kiss.

There was a hint of himself on his lover’s tongue, but that wasn’t what made Reki pull back and stare.

No.

There was the distinct smell of roses in his lover’s hair. 

“Reki?” Langa’s hand covered his, squeezing it a little bit.

“Yeah, sorry.” He laughed, and if Langa picked up on how hollow it was, he didn’t mention it. He simply smiled and helped Reki up as he adjusted his clothes. But Langa was about to walk away when Reki caught his wrist. “Hey, wait! What about you—”

Langa gently released himself from Reki’s hold and dropped a kiss on the back of his hand. “Don’t worry about me. Tonight … was for you.”

And Reki melted. “Are you sure? Cause—”

“Reki—” was all the warning he got before Langa kissed him again. “I’m sure. Now, come on. You mentioned chocolates?”

As predicted, Langa devoured most of the treats. And Reki couldn’t even get mad about not eating many. The taste was a lot sweeter from Langa’s lips anyway.

They stayed for a little longer after finishing the chocolates to try to make up for the time they missed, until they eventually had to head back or his mom was going to scold them.

Again.

The ride home was quiet, as were their hushed goodbyes outside the house.

And if Reki caught another whiff of roses lingering in Langa’s hair while they kissed, he told himself it was surely all in his head.

**Author's Note:**

> > Thank you to our wonderful editor [Taedae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taedae/pseuds/Taedae), and to you as the reader.
>
>> Please come talk to us! Lots of love,
>
>> MadamRed ([Tumblr](https://madamredwrites.tumblr.com/)[, Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/madamredwrites/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/madamredwrites))
>
>> Venom ([Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free)[, Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/venom_for_free))


End file.
